Picking Up The Pieces
by francis2
Summary: A woman waits for a man she hasn't seen in a long time. Anything more would spoil it. It's Moonlight, so you will guess who they are. This was a challenge at ml4ever to write a story to a given title and first paragraph in less than 1000 words.


She ran out of reasons to stay inside. It was way too early but she couldn't contain her excitement anymore. Putting a stray strand of hair back into the clasp she pushed the sliding doors to the garden open and carefully stepped barefoot over the rough tiles of the patio.

The sun hadn't completely set yet but the waning disk of the moon was already visible in the clear blue sky. Dark shades of clouds were clinging to the horizon where a thunderstorm had been brewing all afternoon. She had sensed it from her darkened freezer. It didn't matter, tonight would be great no matter what weather she would encounter.

In the moonlight the silver threads in her blood red gown sparkled like tiny diamonds, and she pivoted on the grass besides the pool in a carefree rendition to a long-forgotten musical. Her mood was pensive and apprehensive, but not sad. Everything would be fine. He would come back to her, and they would start over. Once she decided to believe into this one sentence her life had become whole again. Whatever the outcome, this time of anticipation was already the best time she had in half a century or so.

She sat down on the wooden bench in the gazebo whose slats were throwing dark criss cross patterns in the moonlight. She marveled at the beauty of it, a beauty she wouldn't be able to see if she hadn't been turned. Sometimes she wondered if it was all a mistake, if she never should have done this to him. But it didn't matter anymore, the past was past and couldn't be changed. It was done.

For hours she reminisced about the way her life had turned out. It hadn't been an easy decision for him. It had been so much easier for her, or so she thought. But after the first year, when the fledgling cravings and the rage were over and control among humans was coming naturally, he had left her. He blamed her for whatever was wrong in his own life. It had hurt, boy had it hurt, and she was lashing out to whoever would listen. She had sacrificed so much to be with him, friends, family, her whole life, but to lose his friendship had been nearly driving her insane. All those lonely years she had tried to build a life around the wound inside of her, tried to become an independent woman once again, without him in her life. It was the hardest thing she had ever done, living only on hope.

Suddenly she could hear him approach. His car parked at the end of the garden wall, which he crossed with that cool jump she had seen him do a few times. She watched him intently without leaving her place, taking in his tall frame, his dark hair, flowing down a bit longer now as it was fashionable now, and his woolen dark blue coat. She admired his strong chin, his broad shoulders, and his beautiful ever changing eyes. She took in that clean smell that was entirely his, the one she had missed for so many years now. She knew that he could smell her too, her excitement and arousal, even her guilt, but he didn't acknowledge her until she couldn't wait any more and rushed towards him.

„Mick," she breathed into his chest, clinging to him in desperation, „you came to me. I am so sorry I made you leave. Please stay with me this time. I need you in my life. I can't - "

He softly pushed her an arms lenght away, but didn't break the contact.

„I'm sorry it took me so long. You have to realize that I had lots of things to figure out. You were stifling me. I couldn't be myself when I was with you, with all the demands you lay upon my shoulder. You became such a burden to me."

She looked up through hooded eyes, tears sparkling on her lashes. „But we are married, Mick. I lived a lifetime without you, and I changed. And I love you."

„I know." He didn't say it back. She pulled his head down for a kiss, and he let her. She lay into it all of her love, all of the passion they shared back then, the need for closeness, the willingness to change everything just to be with each other. It should have lasted eternally, but it lasted only a year. She wasn't willing to give him up yet.

„Please, Mick. Help me to pick up the pieces and start again from scratch. We can make it together. We are a good team."

He smiled at that, and then he melted around her, embracing her lush body, her supple curves, the skin he loved to touch. Inhaling her scent that was entirely hers alone, he made a decision. If he wasn't ready now he would never be. The issues he had with himself and his place in life weren't worth to jeopardize this relationship with a wonderful woman, who was ready to wait decades for him to come back. He was her husband and her sire. He wouldn't fail her another time.

„I'll stay, Beth." he whispered into her hair. „I'll stay."


End file.
